Let’s face it: the internet has taken over our lives. We spend so much of our time on it. It’s how we connect with people. In most ways, it’s incredible. But in other ways, it can be pretty detrimental to your mental health.
Staying in good mental health is important for us to achieve our goals and keep a positive attitude. I’m going to share a few tips on how to practice self-care by curating the content you read online.
Don’t Allow Anyone To Make You Feel Bad
Let’s get this out of the way first. Social media is full of fake people, whether they’re individuals created by AI, bloggers who use every ounce of photoshop to turn themselves into a completely different person, or people who only show their life highlights. It’s not real.
Seeing this content can make us feel bad or unworthy. Or it can cause what I like to call negative motivation. Negative motivation can seem like a good thing because it “inspires” you to act or be a certain way. But, this type of motivation comes from a negative place. It comes from looking at someone else and believing that you have to be just like them, even if you’re nothing like them, and striving for that.
When it comes to this type of content, I like to use the Marie Kondo method. Ask yourself, does this account bring me joy? If it doesn’t, unfollow. You do not need to follow an account that makes you feel bad about yourself.
PS: This extends to family members and friends as well. You are under no obligation to follow anyone. If you don’t want to unfollow them, mute the account. Even if you just need a break, just mute. They’ll never have to know.
Focus On The Positive
Okay, we’ve gotten the negative piece out of the way. Now, let’s chat about how to curate a positive feed! I have 3 favorite types of content I like to seek out that bring some positivity to my feed.
Motivation
I’m a big fan of inspiring quotes. So I enjoy finding accounts that share uplifting or realistic quotes about life or business. But motivation can come in many forms. I love reading motivational stories. I enjoy following authors who share their successes. I gravitate towards people who share the good and bad about their journeys. It’s real and makes me feel less alone.
Feel-Good Content
I like to think of feel-good content like pictures and videos that exist simply to make me smile or laugh. I love following social media comedians who poke fun at pop-culture topics. My current favorite is Food Blogger Amanda Rettke who has an IG Reel channel where she plays the role of Shirley at the fictitious Your Content Is Terrible Hotline. She is freaking hilarious. I get so excited when I see a new post from her in my feed.
Another great piece of feel-good content is animals. Dogs, cats, zoo animals, you name it. How can you not laugh or feel a ray of sunshine watching animals looking cute or being obnoxious?
I highly recommend finding content online that can make you laugh. Many times, we go on social media because we’re feeling down and you never know when a funny dog video will pop up and turn your whole mood around.
Myth Busters
One of my recent favorite pieces of content to follow is myth-busters or accounts that share interesting facts. These accounts sort of clap back at the fakeness of social media. It’s refreshing to learn and see the TRUTH online.
My favorites to follow are dieticians or nutritionists who bust food myths. I never realize the true role society has played in my notions of eating, food, and weight. That culture is ridiculous! Accounts like Shana Minei Spence and Deanna Wolfe are my favorites.
Find The Honest
Right now, we’re in a culture where many of us are striving to be better people. We’re striving to bust cultural and societal norms that have been ingrained in our being for as long as we can remember.
I’ve made a point to expand my knowledge on topics like racism, feminism, and sexuality. It’s 2020. At this point, there is so much great information out that there’s no excuse to claim ignorance on things.
Knowledge is power! Take control of what you are learning online. I’ve learned so much lately from accounts on Instagram like Black Lives Matter, So You Want To Talk About…, and Feminist.
I challenge you to think about important social topics that you don’t feel well-versed in and immerse yourself in some of that content. It’s a great growth process.
You Are In Control
Social media seems to be one of those unavoidable things in life right now. For many of us, it is. We thrive on that connection. When we do so in moderation, that’s perfectly okay.
But it’s important to know that we are in control of what we view online. You do not have to continue consuming content that makes you feel lousy. Unfollow those accounts and replace them with ones that are true, informative, and make you feel good.
